Most people never use the SD card slot or removable battery. Google is not supporting SD cards in the latest version of Jelly Bean and never really liked them as they run apps poorly, are a pain to manage, and are not very reliable. This is why you see fewer and fewer Android phones with SD slots.
Actually it's the opposite. Most Android devices in 2013 have SD card slots.
Removable battery is invaluable. I'm not saying everyone needs it, but I could definitely use it for something outside plane use.